This invention relates to a top loading washing machine and more particularly to a washing machine having provision to prevent small articles of clothing from entering the drain pump.
One of the recurrent problems of existing clothes washing machines is the tendency of small articles of clothing such as a stocking to get by existing labyrinth arrangements and enter the drain pump inlet. Not only does this occurrence prevent continued operation of the machine necessitating disassembly of the drain pump inlet to remove the article but also can result in damage to the pump, the clutch, and motor, for driving the pump, and flooding of the wash room area.
As illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,236,386, 3,481,162 and 3,590,741, attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by the use of a screen mounted in the washtub at the entrance to hose connection to the inlet to the pump. A drawback of such an arrangement is that lint and similar residue gradually collects on the screen rather than pass out with the drain water and will interfere with operation of the pump. Furthermore, attachment of the screen to the tub complicates maintenance and repair procedures. Metal screens also present problems of corrosion.